


The Kids are Alright

by Delighted_Librarian



Series: Meet the Braedens [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, season 3 episode 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:40:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27218803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Delighted_Librarian/pseuds/Delighted_Librarian
Summary: A retelling of the Kids are Alright (Supernatural Season 3 Episode 2) from Lisa and Ben's perspectives.
Relationships: Lisa Braeden/Dean Winchester
Series: Meet the Braedens [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1039302
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

Lisa slowed the car as she saw the flashing lights parked in front of Casey’s house. A part of her knew it was rude but she couldn’t help rubbernecking as she drove past. The neighborhood was a few years older, but everyone in her new neighborhood had to drive through it to get to their own new houses. Casey was Darby’s ex-husband, and their daughter went back and forth between the two of them. The tiny part of her that still prayed hoped that little Katie wasn’t there when whatever it was happened. 

She was taking the trash out to the curb when John from across the street pulled in. John was a good guy, even if he was a massive gossip. As soon as he parked, in his driveway he came over to talk to her.  
“Did you hear what happened to Casey?”

“No, I didn’t want to pry.” Her hint was missed or ignored because he went on. 

“Everyone is talking about it. He removed the safety cover from his table saw and fell back on it when it was turned on.” Lisa flinched. She had never been a fan of Casey but that was a terrible way to go.

“I hope Katie wasn’t there.”

“Nah, she was supposed to be there this weekend though. Apparently, she claimed there were monsters at his place and spent the night at Darby’s.”

“At least there is that.” Lisa said and waved goodbye as she went back in the house. Ben was in the front room, playing on his Nintendo DS. She tried not to think about what Casey’s death would have looked like and just hoped that someone other than Darby or Katie had been the ones to find him. She pulled out her phone to text, “I just heard. I’m so sorry, I’m sure that you are really busy today. Let me know if you need to talk or need anything. I’m bringing dinner over tonight at 6:30pm.”

“Ben.” No response. “Ben!” He didn’t look up but he gave a mumbled ‘huh?’ she sighed and sat down on the couch in front of him. “Please pause your game.” He flicked a few buttons on his game then stopped and looked up.

“What wrong Mom?”

“I wanted to let you know something sad. Katie’s dad died in an accident last night.” Ben sighed. “I’m going to make dinner for her and her Mom tonight. Do you know what Katie’s favorite meal is?” 

Ben thought about it for a minute then said, “Hot dogs.”

Lisa sighed inwardly, that is not what you made for mourning people. “What else? Does she like lasagna?”

“I think so.”

“Okay, I’ll make lasagna and hot dogs. Thank you.” She looked at her son then asked, “Do you know why I’m making them dinner?” he shrugged. “I’m making them dinner because I care about them, and I want to help them. I offered to be a listening ear for Katie’s Mom, and I’m making them food so that they don’t have to. So they don’t have to think about cooking, when they have to mourn and plan a funeral. Does that make sense honey?”

“Yeah.” 

“Okay, you can go back to your game.” He did and Lisa turned to her kitchen, there had been a lot of funerals in the neighborhood lately. She would double check tonight that all her power tools still had their safety mechanisms attached. Add that to her already long to do list with Ben’s birthday party next weekend.

“Mom, are monsters real?” Ben asked with his earnest and completely serious face on.

“Why do you ask that?” She asked putting down the book she had been reading out loud to him.

“I don’t know, a couple kids in my class have said things about them lately, then a day later and they start acting all weird.”

“Hmmm, well, I’ve never seen a real monster. I’ve seen them on TV, and I’ve heard of people who acted like monsters and I’ve seen a couple of animals in the Zoo that could be passed off as monsters, but no, I don’t think monsters are real. Does that help?”

He nodded slightly, “Yeah, I think so.”

“What kind of monsters were they talking about?”

“I’m not sure, creepy veiny things with sharp round mouths and sunken eyes. They said they were watching them.”

“Huh. I’ve never heard of monsters like that. Do you want me to check your room before I tuck you in?” He looked a little ashamed, but he nodded. “Of course I will. I love you and I want you to feel safe here. Do you want me to do it now, or when I’m done reading?” 

“After.”

“Okay, are you good for me to keep reading or is this getting too scary for you?”

“No, keep going! I want to know who gets rid of the Troll!” Lisa smiled, and picked up the first Harry Potter book and began reading again.

The doorbell rang and Lisa thought that it must be Darby and Katie, but it stayed closed. She put down the veggie dip she was holding and headed to the door, figuring it must be someone else since Darby would have let herself in by now. She opened the door and didn’t recognize the man on the doorstep. He was tall, in an oversized leather jacket, and very attractive. Then it hit her, “Dean!”

“Lisa, How’s it going?” he was a little older, but it didn’t really seem like he had changed at all. What was he doing here?

“Wow. So, uh, how long has it been?” Stupid question, Lisa.

“Eight, going on nine years now. Crazy, right?” 

“Yeah.” Okay, what did she do now… “So, what are you doing here?” He seriously hadn’t come for a booty call, right? Right!?

“Oh, I was just - I was passing through, and, uh, I couldn’t resist. I remember that you love surprises.” Seriously Dean? A booty call? 

“Haha, yeah.” Collect yourself, Lisa. “Dean Winchester. Wow. Just… wow. I’m - I’m sorry. You kind of came at a bad time. We’re having a party.” He didn’t seem to catch her use of “we’re”.

“A party? Well, I love parties.” How did this man make everything sound like an innuendo, yet still look like a little boy/puppy?

“Well, you won’t know anyone, but most of the neighborhood is here.” She could practically hear the devil and angel on her shoulders arguing as she invited Dean in. ‘You remember Dean. That was a fantastic weekend.’ Says the devil. ‘You’re a mother, you can’t just invite one night stands into your home,’ the angel. ‘Do you think Dean can still do that thing you loved?’ the devil. ‘How are you going to explain this guy to your entire neighborhood?’ the angel.

“Nice digs.” Dean said, looking around.

“Thanks.” She prattled on a little about how they had just bought it, while the devil and angel continued to rail at her on her shoulders.

When they got to the back door, Dean saw the bouncing castle and turned to her with a confused expression, “So, uh, who’s the party for?”

Watch his expression, she told herself. “Ben. My son.” Dean did not disappoint. He was completely caught off guard.

“Oh, you have a…” his voice trailed off and he seemed to suddenly notice all the kids running around the back yard for the first time.

“Yup.” She points out Ben, at a table opening presents. Even though it was warm enough not to need it he had insisted on wearing his navy almost black jacket and jeans. “That’s him.” 

Ben rips off the last of the wrapping paper to reveal a CD, as Mollie takes pictures for Lisa. “Yes!” he yells, “AC/DC rules!” She watches Deans face and tries hard to keep herself from smiling as she can see Dean thinking, and counting time.

“How old?” Dean asks quickly.

“Eight.” She says trying not to but still enjoying the look of consternation on his face. A wave out of the corner of her eye gets her attention and she sees Darby in the kitchen.

“Uh, Dean. Could you excuse me a minute?”

“Yeah, sure. Don’t mind me.” Lisa laughed with the proverbial devil on her shoulder at his face and turned back towards the kitchen. The Angel took over as Darby needed her right now. 

Ben took a bite of cake to hide his excitement. Some dude came and stood next to him. “What’s up?” The guy asked. The guy was tall, boots, jeans, t-shirt under a leather jacket, Ben approved. Plus, had a slice of cake too, so that meant he wasn’t some stuffy adult.

“What’s up with you?” the man asks back. Before Ben can respond, Celia and her mom walk by and Ben is totally distracted by Celia. If he’s honest with himself, and not putting on a face for others, he would admit he kind of has a crush on her. When they are gone, Ben takes another bite of cake and the guy talks with his mouth full, “So, it’s your birthday.”

“Guilty.” Ben says. Today he is on top of the world.

“It’s a cool party.” Okay, this guy doesn’t realize how sweet this party actually is.

“Dude. It’s so freakin’ sweet! And this moon bounce - it’s epic.” 

The guy takes a second, then says, “Yeah. It’s pretty awesome.”

“You know who else thinks they’re awesome?” Ben asks. “Chicks. It’s like hot-chick city out there.” He says in what he thinks is a very grown up way then, puts down his cake and follows Tiff and Izzy into the moon bounce with a “Look out ladies, here comes trouble!”

Lisa watches Katie as she just sits on a chair on the lawn then looks back at Darby, “So… how are you holding up?”

“Fine.” Thats a lie if Lisa has ever heard one.

“Really?”

Darby shrugs and sighs, “Well, you know.” A pause. “I just… never mind.”

“What?” Lisa asked.

“It’s just…” Darby looks over at Katie, “I’m worried. About Katie. I think there might be something… wrong with her.”

Lisa was slightly relieved that this was it. “Of course there is. The poor girl just lost her dad. She’s devastated.”

“No, that… That’s not what I’m talking about.” Lisa watched as Darby tried to figure out the right words for what she was feeling, wishing she could help. “There is something really… wrong… with her.” Darby looked over at Katie with a look Lisa couldn’t pin down. “I’m not sure that Katie is… Katie.”

A trickle of fear ran up Lisa’s spine. “What?”

“I’m not sure that’s my daughter.” Darby said, as if hoping she is wrong but knowing she is right.

Lisa heard her Grandma’s voice in her head as she said, “I know you’re grieving, but you can’t talk like that. Katie needs you right now.”

“No,” Darby said looking Lisa in the eyes, “You don’t understand-“

Lisa cut her off. “Seriously. We’re gonna get you help. It’ll be okay.”

Darby’s face shuts down, she shakes her head, and leaves Lisa standing in the kitchen trying to think which resources she should find for Darby to get her and Katie the best help.

Dean came in a moment later. “Hey. So, I uh… met Ben. Cool kid.” Lisa really doesn’t have time for this right now, she thinks as she watches Darby go outside and talk to Katie.

“Yeah.” She responds, only half hearing what he is saying as she starts cooking again.

“Yeah… you know, I couldn’t help but notice that, uh, he’s turning eight. You and me…”

That snaps her back to the present, and she laughs.“You’re not… trying to ask me if he’s yours?” she asked.

“No. Nah, of course not.” Lisa relaxes a bit and they both chuckle. A moment later Dean turns to her, “He’s not, is he?” She accidentally lets the oven door slam.

“What?” Crap. Crap. Crap. What does she say? She looks at him, and his eyebrows are raised. “No!” Crap. She’s never really had to talk about Ben to any of her old flames before. How does she do this? Is that enough of an answer?

Apparently it is, because Dean just says “Right.” She watches Dean watch Ben out the window and starts to let herself wonder. “Yeah…” he says. She can’t read him.

As if divinely inspired to break the moment, Darby ushers Katie back into the kitchen and straight out the front door without a word of good bye.

“Something wrong with your friend?” he asked.

“She’s been through a lot lately. He ex just died in this horrible accident.”

“Oh, yeah. Didn’t I just read about that? The, uh, the power saw.”

“Yeah, guess there’s been a lot of bad luck in the neighborhood lately.” That seemed to catch his attention. 

“What kind of bad luck?” 

Her two o’clock yoga session ran late since the client wouldn’t stop talking about a pain in her elbow, and Lisa had to remind her that she was picking her son up to be able to get out the door. Lisa throws her yoga mat in through the car window as she passes it, pulls on her jacket and walks another block to the park outside the elementary school where she picks up Ben after school.

She scans the park and sees him with a bunch of brat boys a year or two older than Ben. Something is going on, because they are all facing Ben and Ben is talking to them with a serious look on his face. The older boys say something, then Ben turns to walk away but turns back and kicks the kid between the legs grabs something out of his hand and runs away.

Lisa stops in shock. Where did that come from? Why is her son acting violent? She watches Ben run as he runs straight to Dean Winchester who happens to be sitting on a bench close to her and they high five. She starts walking again, “Benjamin. Isaac. Braeden! What's gotten into you?” 

“He stole my game!”

“So you kick him!? Since when is,” and that is when she realizes that Dean is not on her side. He is smiling. 

“Did you tell me son to beat up that kid?”

Dean is deflecting, “What? Somebody had to teach him how to kick the bully in the nads!” Too far Dean. Way to far. Any pleasant thoughts she had had about him maybe being Ben’s dad are now gone.

“Who asked you to teach him anything?” 

“Just relax.” Dean says. That was the wrong thing to say to her at that moment. She grabbed his arm and pulled him a few feet away from Ben. In a hard voice she asks, “What are you even still doing here? We had one weekend together a million years ago. You don't know me. And you have no business with my son.” 

She turned and went back to Ben. 

“Lisa.” He calls.

“Just leave us alone.” She grabs Ben by the hand and walks away. They’ve only gone a few paces when Ben rips out of her hand, “Ben!”

But Ben is running back and hugging Dean, he looks up, says “Thanks!” And comes back to her and takes her hand again. She is fuming, less at Ben and more at Dean, his presumption, and her lack of control over his influence on Ben. As attractive as Dean is, he just proved to not be a good role model. 

Ben’s headphones were blasting Aerosmith and he jumps at the sound of something falling behind him. He turns and everything his classmates had said suddenly makes sense. Because there in front of him is a monster with a round mouth full of teeth climbing through the open window and behind it is the realtor lady.  
Ben rips off the headphones and jumps off the kitchen table chair he was sitting at and backs up. 

“What are you?” And all the tales of monsters and fairies come rushing back to him as he doesn’t wait for them to finish crawling through the window and he runs. He has only gone a few steps when a veined hand grabs his wrist and stops him. He turns as the veined head comes down and bites his arm. 

He can’t move. He can’t scream. In horror he watches as the veined thing turns into a copy of himself. The same hair, the same clothes, the same same eyes, and then everything goes black.

Lisa has never been so grateful for the doorbell to ring this late at night. Ben was acting weird and she was trying to decide if this was tiredness, illness coming on, or a new phase. Frankly she hoped it was illness because that meant that it would be the least common future experience.

She opened the door and there is Dean. What is Dean doing on her doorstep at 11:20pm. If this is another attempt at a booty call…

“Dean, What a-“

He cuts her off. “I was thinking… Ben’s birthday. I didn’t even bring him a present.” 

“That’s okay.” You already did your damage today at the park.

“No. No, no,” why is he stalling? “I feel terrible, so, uh…” He pulls out a credit card and practically shoves it at her. “Here. Take a long weekend - Just the two of you. On me.” 

“What?” Dean has never had money like this, and given she saw his old Impala, he still doesn’t.

“Yeah, I hear Six Flags is great this time of year. Go now! Avoid the traffic.”

She looks at the card, It’s a visa. “Siegfried Houdini. Whose card is this?” Was he really trying to give her a stolen credit card? Why was he trying to get them to leave? Just what was going on here?

“Mine.” He says sheepishly and she just looks at him. “Never mind. It’ll work. I promise.” 

So now he is into credit card fraud. The thoughts about him probably having warrants and being a bad influence are solidified in stone. She hands back the card. “You should leave.” 

“Lisa,” he is about to say more when Ben speaks up from behind her. 

“Mommy, what’s wrong?” He must be getting sick he rarely called her mommy anymore.

“Nothing, Ben, It’s cool.” Before she can say anything, especially to the jerk who just talked over her Ben speaks up again.

“Make him go away, Mommy.” Well, that answered that. Dean is staring at Ben, then looks at her with a hit of concern.

“You heard him. Get out.” She is almost surprised by the amount of venom in her tone.

“Lisa, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  
I’m sure you don’t Dean. “Get out!” and she slammed the door on his face. She sighed as she turned around. And Ben in a stoic face went back to the table and his book. She tried to push down her anger and went back to the couch with her own book. What was up with Dean? Why did he show up now? Why did he feel like he could tell her what to do? She wished he had never come back and she could just remember the him from years ago.

He woke in a cage in an unfinished basement. He had started to yell when Tara from the 3rd grade and in the cage next to him, shhh-ed him. In a whisper, she said that if they made any noise the realtor monster lady would come and hurt them. He had stayed quiet. It had felt like forever. His friend Katie was a few cages down, and there were a handful of other kids from the neighborhood in other cages. 

So he sat there. In silence. Silently he cried for a while, and when he was done wiping his eyes he saw tear streaks on other faces too. That was it. He was done with this. As quietly as he could he pushed against the wire mesh of his cage. He kicked against it and Tara shhh-ed him again. He looked at her and kicked harder.  
Then he heard a sound above, heavy footsteps. 

He sat back up in his cage and scooted to the back like he saw the other kids doing. A flash of light in the distance and the sound of boots on stairs down to them made his heart thud so hard he thought it would pound out of his chest. Surely, the realtor monster would hear it. He looked to his right and left and saw about half of the other kids were silently crying. 

He stuck out his chin and watched as the flashlight beam got closer and closer. It came around an unfinished wall and Ben’s breath stopped. He thought he recognized those boots but he couldn’t see who it was behind the beam of the flashlight. Whoever it was, was looking at the kids in each cage. When they were looking at Tara, Ben could see the outfit, it was Dean. The cool guy who had taught him how to stand up for himself.  
Ben put his fingers up to the top of his cage and Dean stopped. Put his fingers next to Bens and said, “Ben…” in relief. Then he looked at the cage and the room quickly then back to Ben. “Ben... it's okay. I'm gonna get you out of here, okay?”

Ben nodded and held back the tears. “Let me find something to open this.” Dean walks away, and Ben can hear him moving around as loud sounds come from upstairs. Dean comes back with piece of pipe and with a few strong strokes against the lock, it breaks and he is opening the cage door. “Come on.” Dean says but Ben needs no urging. He is out of the cage and his arms are wrapped around Dean’s shoulders. Dean picks him up and hugs him. Then sets him down. “Alright, come on. Lets get the others out.”

Lisa is getting worried. As adorable as it is for Ben to be this loving, he is never this clingy. He won’t go to bed, now he is hungry… She sighs and gets up. “Mini pizzas okay? Deluxe is all we’ve got.” 

In a flat tone Ben responds “Okay.” 

Lisa looks in the freezer, while saying, “Funny, I thought we were anti-olives this month.” She looks back over at him, wondering why he is acting so weird when she sees something reflected in the glass coffee table in front of him. It is veiny, with a round mouth of teeth and empty eye sockets. She gasps. 

Dean is opening the locks and Ben is helping the kids out. Some of them are really weak and Ben stays focused on getting them out of their cages so he doesn’t have to think about it. The first is a boy Ben vaguely knows is younger than him. He helps him out of the cage, 

“It’s okay, we’re going to get out of here.” Then walks him to the far end of the room from the stairs, while Dean breaks more locks. In a matter of minutes, all the kids are out and the sounds of fighting upstairs has stopped. 

Dean gathers all the kids together next to a basement window then says “Cover your eyes.” Ben doesn’t think he just does, there is the sound of breaking glass and when the tinkling sound of that stops he looks up to see a broken window and the pipe still in Dean’s hand. Dean is looking around for something to brush the glass off with and Ben takes off his canvas jacket. 

“Here, use this.” Dean looks at him, takes the jacket and places it over the broken glass. 

“Alright, Ben. Come on.” Dean reaches out to Ben but he shakes his head. Carson looks like he is going to collapse. 

“No, him first.” Ben gently pushes Carson towards Dean.

“Okay,” and Dean lifts the boy out through the window. 

A voice makes Ben and Dean turn around. “Hey! Dean! There’s a Mother.” 

Dean keeps lifting kids up as Ben leads them to him as he turns to the giant guy running into the room, “A mother changeling?”

“Yeah. We got to get these kids out quick.” 

“Right. There’s one more.” Dean says nodding his head in a direction Ben hadn’t looked in yet. “You got to break the lock!”

The Big Guy turns and pauses before attacking the lock. Ben is just pushing the others towards Dean who is still lifting them into and through the window. He looks over at the Big Guy and sees him help a frazzled weak looking realtor out of a cage. Before he can think about it, Katie screams. Ben turns and the realtor monster coming at them.

“What’s wrong, mommy?”

“You’re not my son.” What is going on here?

“Yes, I am.” This is not her son.

“Where’s Ben?” 

“I’m Ben. I love you, Mommy.” And suddenly she is remembering what Darcy said about Katie, realizing that probably wasn’t Katie, which means that this really isn’t Ben. This is a monster, an abomination.

She grabs her keys and runs for the front door. She makes it outside to see three creepy kids standing there, blocking her exit. Instinctively she knows that they are whatever the monster in her living room is too. She runs back in and slams the door and there is the not-Ben monster. 

“They don’t want you to leave me, Mommy.”

Dean and the Big Guy are fighting the realtor monster and Ben is trying really hard not to look their way as he moves boxes with the real realtor lady to help the others climb up to the window. Dean and the Big Guy must not be doing well, because Ben hears them getting thrown around the room. 

“Ben, get them out of here!” This time when Ben looks over, sees the Big Guy with some sort of tank and Dean on his knees. Ben moves a giant plastic barrel of paint over and Katie climbs up after the real realtor who is helping the kids climb out of the window well. Ben looks back one last time to see Dean and the Big Guy on their feet then he climbs out of the window. 

A scream comes from below with a flash of light and then it is quiet. 

Lisa is crying as not-Ben comes slowly closer. He is saying how much he loves her, but in a flat voice and a hungry look on his face. Where is her Ben? What should she do? If she hurts this thing, will it hurt her Ben? Then with a scream, not-Ben goes up in flames and disappears. She takes a moment to breathe then runs around the house calling for Ben. But he’s not there. She has been left alone, in her empty house, without her son. 

Dean called a few minutes after not-Ben disappeared. He had Ben, her Ben, and her Ben was safe. He also had the other kids and as soon as he had dropped the others off, he would bring Ben home. Ben had been helping to keep the other kids calm. It took all the composure she had not to run out of the house looking for Ben. But she stood at the window and paced. The sun had started to come up when she finally heard Dean’s muscle car coming down the street. She ran out of the house as they pulled in and Ben shot out of the car and into her arms. 

“Ben?! Ben! Baby, are you okay?”

“I’m okay, Mom.”

“Oh,” and she was crying again. “What the hell just happened?” she looked up at Dean.

“I’ll explain everything if you want me to, but, trust me, you probably don’t.” He handed her Ben’s jacket.  
“The important thing is, is that Ben’s safe.”

“Thank you.” Her little man was back. She hugged Dean. Fiercer than she had hugged any man in years.  
“Thank you.” When Dean looked away, she looked where he was looking. A tall man stood at the drivers door to Dean’s car and said, “I’m gonna give you guys some time.” 

Lisa took Ben’s hand, and said “Come on.” And motioning with her eyes, led Ben and Dean into the house. Ben was amped and hungry so she made him a sandwich, while Ben put a new CD in his discman, and Dean explained about changelings. When Ben was set at the table, Lisa and Dean walked to the base of the stairs, away from Ben to continue talking.

“So, Changlings?” Lisa asked in disbelief

“You know how I never mentioned my job? This is my job.”

“I so didn’t want to know that.” That meant there was a lot more of this going on in the world than she knew.  
“Do you think he will be okay?” she asked, looking over at Ben, eating his sandwich. He had surrounded himself with some of his favorite toys, a notebook, a couple CDs. 

“Yeah, I think he’ll be fine.” Dean said it with complete sincerity and Lisa’s insides relaxed a little bit. “Okay, Seriously. I mean, you’re 100% sure that he is not mine, right?” the change in topic threw her and she smiled. 

“You’re off the hook.” And time for the lie she had made up that first night Dean had shown up. “I did a blood test when he was a baby.” 

“Oh,” Dean looked like he had dodged a bullet. Well, maybe she should continue the story…

“There was this guy, some bar back in a biker joint.” Dean looked at her, a ‘thats where you are taking this’ look. “What?” she said innocently. “I had a type.” She looked a Dean remembering when they had first met. “Leather jacket, couple of scars, no mailing address… Guess I was a little wild back then.” She looked over at Ben briefly. “Before I became a Mom. So yeah. You can relax.”

A solemn look that she had never seen crossed Dean’s face. “Good. Good.” He said as he watched Ben. Lisa’s heart skipped a beat.

“I swear, you look disappointed.” 

Dean paused, and she could see the gears moving in his head. “Yeah, I don’t know.” He paused again. “It’s weird, you know, your life…” he paused the silence seeming to indicate her house, and world. “I mean, this house, and a kid… it’s not my life. Never will be.” What did that mean? Then a look of regret passed his face. “Some stuff happened to me recently, and, uh…” what kinds of stuff she wondered. “Anyway, a guy in my situation – you start to think, you know. I'm gonna be gone one day, and what am I leaving behind besides a car?” Whatever aspects of Dean she had hated yesterday she had forgotten, and she wanted to help heal his hurt for what he had done for Ben, for her. 

“I don’t know. Ben may not be your kid, but… he wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for you. That’s a lot if you ask me.” Dean’s face showed the appreciation he had for her words, he looked at Ben one last time and headed to the door. Before he got there, he turned around. 

“You know, just for the record. You got a great kid.” She smiled again. “I would have been proud to be his Dad.” Ben was a good kid, but no man had ever said anything even close to that. She walked up to him and kissed him. He kissed back then they both let the kiss release. She looked down, embarrassed but not with any regret. 

“Look, um, If you want to stick around for a while… You’re welcome to stay.” She finished looking up at him. She could see the desire in his eyes. Not for her, but for what that possibility would be: her, Ben and a home. But the look disappeared.

“I can’t. I got a lot of work to do, and… it’s not my life.” She smiled at him, his smile was fake too, tinged with regret. As he went out the door, she smiled again, and he gave her a genuine smile in return. She basked in the warmth and protection he exuded for a moment. Then he was gone. 

She took a deep breath. She would need a therapist, Ben too. She was getting better locks for all the windows and doors. Maybe she would join Jill’s MMA class...


	2. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months after the events in The Kids Are Alright.

Lisa woke in the morning to the quiet that comes only during a snowfall. She felt around the bed, but Ben was not there. She sat up, Ben wasn’t there. She looked around the room, then jumped out of bed and rushed across the hall. Ben’s door was shut, she burst in to see Ben, sleeping in his own bed. He rolled over at the sound but his eyes didn’t open and she backed out of the room and gently shut the door with a grin on her face.

Ben had slept through the night without climbing into bed with her. This was his first night of solid sleep since the changelings and she would not disturb him. During the day, Ben was fine. He was something of a hero to the other kids who had survived the changelings. The police investigation of seven missing kids had stabbed at the hearts of the families of the six that Dean and his brother Sam had been able to save. 

Dean and Sam had coached each of the families on how to not explain clones of their children going up in flame and disappearing. It was those families who had lost… she had to force the thoughts away as she went downstairs and started mixing batter for Ben’s favorite waffles. 

A few days after everything, she had had all the families effected come over for dinner. No one had discussed what had happened, but everyone had felt safer being together. Knowing that they were with other people who had experienced the same things. Feeling solidarity. They had dinner every other week now. Turned out that one of the mom’s was a psychiatrist, and while she was helpful, she had been able to refer parents and children to therapists who would believe their narrative and not think they were all looney. 

For Christmas, Darby had given each family a hex bag. She said her grandmother was Romany and while in the past she hadn’t believed in magic, she had found a spell for a hex bag that would protect any domicile from changelings. That was the only time Darby had spoken about what happened. Whether or not the hex bags worked, they all felt better for having it. 

Lisa glanced up at the air vent she had put hex bag in above the doorway to the kitchen. When her thoughts got dark she usually ended up thinking about that hex bag and Dean and trying not to think of what else was going bump in the night. 

Her dark thoughts were broken by the sound of Ben coming down for breakfast. She smiled and turned on the waffle iron as her stomach grumbled.


	3. A Fatherly Secret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben has survived changlings and finds that there are others besides hunters who know about the supernatural.
> 
> This is my head cannon :)

Father Clemente continued far longer than Ben’s attention could last. The funeral was in the small country parish church, covered in flowers. He didn’t think he had seen so many flowers in one place ever. It was cool to see how many people had cared about his Grandpa. Grandpa had had a heart attack three weeks ago, had ‘gotten his affairs in order’ as the adults were saying, and then had died from another heart attack a few days ago.

Ben was looking at the alter. He was ten now and Grandpa had been trying to get him to be an alter boy for years now, but the Father wouldn’t let him, mostly because he didn’t live in the diocese. So a compromise had been made, the Father ‘let’ Ben help around the church on Sunday mornings so his Grandpa could take Ben with him to church when he went to his deacons meetings.

Father Clemente had given Ben odd jobs to do, sweep the floor, dust the bookshelves in the father’s office, wipe down the silver in the back room. It was boring, but it made his grandparents happy so he did it. Plus Father Clemente was a cool enough guy, for a priest. One good thing about the job was that it meant that Ben now knew all the nooks and crannies in the church. The moment all this was over he was climbing the steps to the old attic and hiding until all the people who had known his grandpa were gone. The attic had been struck by lightning years before Ben was born and while the exterior had been fixed the interior had just been boarded up until the church could raise the funds to refurbish it. But no one went up the stairs unless it was to sweep.

Everyone around him stood as the priest called out and he followed, and within a few minutes it was over. His mom kissed his forehead, his Grandma ruffled his head and he had slipped out of the pew and was down the side aisle before anyone could stop him. He slipped out the back door and was halfway down the hallway when he turned and bolted up the curved stairwell.

He sat on the landing almost at the top of the stairs and pulled his knees to his chest. As annoying as it had been to go to church with Grandpa, he had loved the man, had looked up to him. Had even wanted to be like him when he grew up. Ben sat there crying for a long time.

He heard someone call his name in the hallway below and scrambled to his feet. He was a man now, he didn't want anyone to find him crying. He heard a foot on the steps below him and he backed up against the wall. There was no where to go. He turned to the door at the top of the stairs, and as silently as he could he grabbed the old ring handle and pulled. It didn't budge, but he tried pushing it. Because of his height and the steps, and him pushing up against the bottom of the handle it suddenly slipped into a groove and the door silently popped open and he fell into the room. Before he could even look around he flipped around and shut the door.

He sat on the floor with his back to the door, eyes shut, trying not to breathe. He heard someone on the steps outside but after a moment they left. He sighed, and opened his eyes. Then blinked. It was the strangest room he had ever seen. Symbols were carved into every surface. Strange looking dream catchers hung along one wall, books covered another, and maps a third. The forth wall was the wall that had been destroyed, but even Ben could tell that lightning hadn't done that. Claw and random scorch marks were all over that side of the room, and the original wall was gone, replaced by ply board with even more marks drawn over it.

This place was weird. A skylight let in a fair amount of light and Ben could see that this was not a place for kids, but he got up and stepped into the room anyways. On a stand near the bookshelf was a large book, at least four inches thick. He pulled the chair away from the desk and in front of the stand. Standing on top of the chair he could read the old script on the cover, “A North American Beastiary.” He might not know how to pronounce the last word but he was fairly sure he knew what it meant.

He opened the cover to see swirls of color on the top page, he flipped open a few more pages in and read “Amazons. An all female race of near-humans dating back to the ancient Greeks.” Weird. He flipped past and found himself in the middle of a weird chapter on black dogs. Boring. He flipped forward, looking for the things that haunted his nightmares.

“Changlings. Humanoid creatures with pale discolored, slimy skin, empty eyes, and a round mouth with many teeth. They can appear human, but their true nature is always revealed in their reflections. They feed on humans, specifically synovial fluids.” The page had a folded paper glued in and Ben unfolded it. At the picture of an adult changing and her two young standing over corpses he stepped back and the chair fell over backwards. He landed on his bum, but was at the door in a flash.

But the door had no handle. He looked at it frantically, but there was nothing to see, it was just a wooden panel from this side with a bunch of weird markings on it. He yelled and pounded on the door, but no one heard him.

Lisa said goodbye to the last of her fathers friends and went back to the pew on the front row where her mother and sister were sitting. “Have either of you seen Ben lately?” They both shook their heads and her Mom began to cry a little more. Ben had been named after her father, Benjamin. He was not in the chapel, she went out to the foyer, not there either. She wanted to get him to bed soon, they would have to be up early, to be back here for the burial in the morning.

She went to Father Clemente, “Father have you seen Ben?”

He turned from where he was setting out copies of the sermon for Sunday. “Not since the service ended. Is he missing?”

“Yes, would you mind checking the vestry, and I'll check the public areas.”

“Of course.” Father Clemente smiled and silently walked through the door to the vestry.

It was thirty minutes later that Father Clemente opened the attic door just to be sure Ben wasn't in there when he found the boy, sitting at the base of the bookshelf in the dark staring at the dream catchers in the skylight. Ben blinked up at him in the light from the door. “Oh, Ben.” He pressed the old button light switch and the overheard lights turned on.

“Ben, did you get stuck in here?” The boy nodded. Holding the door open with one hand he reached out with the other to the boy, “Come on, your mom is worried about you.” Ben looked at the hand then up at the Father.

“Did my Grandpa know you were a hunter?” Father Clemente looked like he had been slapped in the face. “I guess not then.” Ben said and stood, glancing at the Beastiary as he calmly walked past the Father to go to his Mom. By the time Father Clemente got back to the lobby he heard Ben telling his mom he had gotten locked in a closet, and the family left shortly after.

Ben was not surprised when Father Clemente found him on the front steps of the church after the burial the next day. They sat in silence for a few minutes then Ben spoke. “I didn't mean to snoop. I didn't want to be around others and it was the only place I could hide.”

“Thank you Ben. I guessed it was something like that.” when the Father didn't continue Ben stayed silent. He wasn't going to bring things up. Nuh uh.

“Ben, how do you know about hunters?” Ben almost didn't respond but decided if the Father really was a hunter, he could trick Ben into telling anyways.

“Last year, a hunter and his brother saved Mom and me.” That was all he was going to say.

“From a changling?” The father asked. Ben shuddered. “I've never encountered a changling before, I read up on them last night. You and your mom are very lucky those hunters were around.”

Ben smiled, “Yeah, he was so cool. He saved a bunch of us. The mom changling was getting ready to start munching on us for the night, but then the hunters showed up and unlocked our cages, they fought off the mom changling while we escaped. Then they killed it and took us all home to our parents who had then realized that the kids in their houses weren't their kids. Kari was my first girlfriend after that. I helped her climb out the basement window.” Ben fell silent.

“Wow, Ben. I'm so glad you guys were all alright. Changelings aren't easy to fight they must have been really good hunters.”

“Yeah, I think their whole family are hunters. One of them knew Mom from a long time ago, but they hadn't seen each other in years.”

“Did your mom call him to help with the changlings?”

“I don't think so, I think he was just hunting and ran into mom. He left his number in case we ever needed a hunter again. Are a lot of Fathers hunters?”

“No, but the office of the inquisition specializes in the unnatural. A few others here and there know and handle cases as they come up in their parishes or call in for help, but most don’t really believe in it. I can handle the small stuff, but anything more than that is out of my league.”

“What about pastors and stuff from other churches?”

“A few know, but I think most do not.”

“So who takes care of those people?”

“Those who can. Hunters like the men that saved you, other clergy, or shamen who know what's what.”

Ben thought about that for a bit. “Where do monsters come from?”

Father Clemente was quiet for a moment. “I'm not entirely sure. Some have just always been around, some were humans who were changed into beasts, others are not of this world.”

“Like from hell?”

“Maybe, some of them. I've never dealt with any that were.”

“What have you dealt with.” Ben asked curious.

“Ghosts mostly. But I think this conversation might not be age appropriate anymore. Listen, if you ever think that you have something… unnatural near you, you call me, anytime, anywhere.” Father Clemente stood, and helped Ben to his feet. “Now, fortunately we don't have to worry about anything like that today. Let's go be there for your Mom, Grandma and Aunt. They need you right now.”


End file.
